Brace for drum-cords.



No 803,384.. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. D. M. WRIGHT.

BRAGE FOR DRUM GORDS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. l. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRACE FOR DRUM-CORDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed February 1, 1905. $erial No. 243,619.

To a whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEXTER M. \VRIe-H'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braces for Drum- Cords, of which the followingis aspeciiication.

This invention relates to braces for drumcords, the object of the invention being to pro- Vide braces for tightening the cords of drums which shall be more durable, convenient, and effective than those heretofore employed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drum equipped with my improved braces. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of. the brace detached when open. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same closed. Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a further modification. Fig. 6 is an end view of the latter.

Various forms of braces or cars for tightening the cords of drums are on the market, but none of them is quite satisfactory to musicians. The original form of brace was one made entirely of leather with the free edges underneath the cords of the drum stitched together with strong twine. The objection to this form was that by constant use and owing to the immense strain upon the brace by the tension of the cords these stitches tore out of the leather and the device was not durable, and was therefore a source of annoyance and expense to the owner of the drum. An improvement on this consisted in surrounding the brace with a continuous metallic band; but this was open to the objection that the band, being comparatively thick, scratched the varnish on the side of the drum; also, it was not securely attached to the leather brace; and a further objection, which applied also to the original form secured by means of stitches, was that the brace could not be removed without taking the whole of the drum apart.

A further improvement consisted. in surrounding the brace with a metallic piece firml y secured thereto, the ends of which coincided with the free edges of the leather, thus forming a gap both between the metallic piece and the leather, through which gap the cords of the drum could be passed. This was an improvement on the other two forms in that it could be applied to the drum and detached therefrom without taking the drum apart; but it was found to be defective in that by the constant tension of the cords the metal device would spread, and thus would fall off the cords of the drum and on many occasions be lost.

By the present invention I avoid all of the above objections and provide a brace which can be attached to and detached from the cords of the drum, as required, but cannot acone side, and upon said leather is secured a metallic reinforcing-plate 7,the edges of which are formed, respectively, into hooks 8 and eyes 9, engaging each other.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4; there are secured adjacent to the free edges metallic reinforcing-plates 10, having eoregistering portions 11 12 projecting therefrom and formed into eyes 13, through which passes a cotterpin or key 1 1.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 each plate is formed double, the free edges of each plate being cut, the one into prongs 15, passed through the leather, and the other into slots 16 on the opposite side of the leather, through which slots the prongs pass and are secured thereto to firmly secure the plate upon the leather. The plates form eyes 13 in the same manner as before.

The above methods of attaching the metallic plates only serve to illustrate the general principle involved, which is that of providing the free edges of the leather with metallic devices detachably connected with each other to form when so connected a closed loop through which the cords can pass, said edges being, however, disconnectible when it is desired to remove the devices from the leather.

The word leather in the claims is understood to include any flexible material like leather which could be used in the place thereof.

I claim In combination with drum-cords, a brace therefor consisting of a piece of leather forming a loop open on one side and having an ear whereby the same may be grasped, and mehand in the presence of two subscribing wittalhc reinforcements for the free edges of the nesses.

loop, sald relnforcements bemg: provlded W1th DEXTER Mn WRIGHT means whereby they and stud tree edges may 5 be detachably connected together, substan- \Vitnesses:

tially as described. FRANoIs M. WRIGHT,

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my BESSIE GORFINKEL. 

